1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to compositions and processes for removing organic coatings, particularly paints and the like, from metal surfaces bearing such organic coatings, especially when the metal surfaces have been conversion coated, as with phosphate or chromate coatings, before being given an organic coating. Compositions that are effective in removing organic coatings in this way are often called "stripping compositions" or simply "strippers" and may be so denoted hereinafter. The compositions are at least partially aqueous and alkaline but also contain organic solvents, which may or may not be completely soluble in the aqueous part of the compositions. Additional details may be found in U.S. Pat. No. 3,308,066 of Mar. 7, 1967 to Murphy et al., the entire disclosure of which, except to the extent that it may be inconsistent with any explicit statement herein, is hereby incorporated herein by reference.
More particularly, this invention is concerned with compositions which include at least two chemically distinct types of organic solvents that act synergistically to achieve more rapid stripping than would be expected from the weighted average of stripping times of their individual components. In some of its embodiments, this invention is concerned with alkaline stripping compositions that eliminate or at least substantially reduce the potential for air pollution by excluding or substantially reducing any content of organic solvents recognized as significant contributors to air pollution when evaporated into the air, for example, any solvents listed as Hazardous Air Pollutants under the U. S. Clean Air Act.
2. Discussion of Related Art
Previously known alkaline stripping compositions are diverse, but the most effective previously known ones generally include ethylene glycol, one of the materials often known as "poly-[or oligo-]ethylene glycols" because the molecules thereof can be at least formally derived from two or more molecules of ethylene glycol by loss of one water molecule between each pair of ethylene glycol molecules to form an ether bond between the two molecules that replaces the --OH group formerly present in each molecule, and/or monoethers of ethylene glycol and/or its oligomers as defined above. Most if not all such materials have been implicated as significant sources of air pollution and are likely to be legally banned or severely restricted in use in the United States within the next few years.